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Wanted - advice on utility bills, taxes etc when selling up


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We have sold our maison secondaire and are due to complete at the end of September.  We have had the house for 16 years and I have completely forgotten what happened when we bought with regard to the utility bills, taxes etc.

I presume that we just notify the EDF, Water and France Telecom of the completion date and ask for a meter reading and bill. 

The notaire has asked for the Taxe Fonciere bill and I understand will deal with this.  The Taxe d'Habitation seems down to us as we were in occupation on 1 January.

Our area has separate billing for rubbish collection.  We pay this each June.  The rate for
maisons secondaires is twice that for principal residences and our buyers (French) will be living there permanently.  Can I claim back the difference?

Insurance - we took on our sellers and have kept it (inertia is wonderful).  Does the notaire cancel it or do we?

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[quote user="Tony the Turner"]We have sold our maison secondaire and are due to complete at the end of September.  We have had the house for 16 years and I have completely forgotten what happened when we bought with regard to the utility bills, taxes etc.

I presume that we just notify the EDF, Water and France Telecom of the completion date and ask for a meter reading and bill. 

Yes. 

The notaire has asked for the Taxe Fonciere bill and I understand will deal with this.  The Taxe d'Habitation seems down to us as we were in occupation on 1 January.

Yes

Our area has separate billing for rubbish collection.  We pay this each June.  The rate for
maisons secondaires is twice that for principal residences and our buyers (French) will be living there permanently.  Can I claim back the difference?

Unlikely, but worth asking at your mairie

Insurance - we took on our sellers and have kept it (inertia is wonderful).  Does the notaire cancel it or do we?

You do - you are the policyholder.

[/quote]

 

 

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Whatever you do, make sure you notify your insurance company in writing as soon as possible. We sold up in France 2 years ago and just assumed the insurance would lapse (as it would in the UK). We got a demand for payment from them last year, and they hassled us so much we ended up just paying it, although we told them that the house had been sold. They asked us for all the paperwork from the notaire, UK address of new owners, we stupidly just ignored that and then we got another demand this year!!  Fortunately we didn't have to pay it this year, but we did have to send them all the info about the house sale.  So be warned, and don't get caught out like we did!!
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[quote user="Winston"] They asked us for all the paperwork from the notaire, ...  So be warned, and don't get caught out like we did!![/quote]

The notaire provides copies of the sale details expressly for use with cancelling house assurance etc which you are expected to use.

Sue

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